String Theory
by Achamo
Summary: Netto Hikari is dead, and Meiru and Rockman are left to pick up the pieces.
1. The End

"I'll be sending your report cards home in a week. It's been a wonderful two years with you-here's hoping you all have a great time in junior high!"

Almost every member of Class 6-A erupted into cheers of joy, and energetic chatter soon filled the air. Three of the students were far more subdued. A heavyset boy shoved his books into his backpack and left quickly, avoiding the only empty desk in the room. The two girls that sat near him put their things away slowly, the taller of the two staring at the vacant desk next to her as she slid her books into her black bag. Around them, the other students threw their things into their backpacks and got up to leave Akihara Elementary for the last time.

"We won't have to all use identical backpacks now that we're out of elementary school," the shorter, blonde girl said to break the silence between them. "When we get really loaded down, these cheap little things don't cut it, do they?" She saw only short, red hair, her friend still looking away at that untouched desk. "It'll-be nice to get a designer bag to cart it all around, won't it-" Her babbling came to an abrupt halt as she, too, turned her head to see what her friend couldn't take her eyes off of. There was a thin layer of dust on the desk; its built-in computer had been completely wiped, while a few bits of trash and eraser shavings were still inside its physical pocket. Its user's parents had come the weekend of the bombing to remove any school projects or supplies that had been waiting for a boy who would never use them again.

The redhead had run out of things to put away. She got to her feet, the only sound by now the scrape of her chair; the other students had already left. "Sorry for keeping you here so long, Yaito-chan," she said, sounding almost like nothing was wrong.

"It's my choice," Yaito said, leaving no room for argument. Her friend finally turned to look at her, her eyes a muddy brown without their usual sparkle, a weak smile on her face.

Their teacher had been packing away a few odds and ends as well; now, she came over to her two students. "Meiru-chan, Yaito-chan, I-" She swallowed, and Yaito realized that she was just as fond of their lost friend as Meiru was. After all, he'd been in her classes for almost two years, and saved her life many times besides. "-I just want to tell you how sorry I am that Netto-kun's gone. When I'd been assigned to see you all out of elementary school, I-I was looking forward to seeing you all graduate... together..." She sniffled loudly.

Meiru nodded, still with that weak, fake smile. "Thank you, Mariko-sensei," she said, and Yaito could tell that she meant it. "I'm sure you want to head out. We won't keep you any longer."

"It's not a problem. You know, I wouldn't mind if we walked together for a little while," Mariko-sensei said, wiping at her eyes.

"Sure," Yaito said, though she was also glad that Mariko-sensei would only be accompanying them until she reached her car. Any more of this and she would lose it too, and then Meiru would be sad over Netto and worrying over her, which was the last thing the redhead needed. Yaito had already done her share of crying when she had first turned on her television to see that a series of bombs had exploded aboard a subway car, killing everyone on board. That had included 'Net Savior and local hero Hikari Netto'. There had been many letters from victims' friends and relatives shown flashing across the screen, but it had seemed like one in every three was about Netto. It had surprised Yaito to see how many people her friend had affected. People whose names she didn't even recognize wrote to tell how Netto had saved them from some materialized Navi or other crisis, and that the city wouldn't be the same without him around. It had taken a few minutes of coverage for it to truly hit her that _Netto was dead_, and when it had she'd burst into tears, unable to turn the television and its sweeping shots of the smoldering wreckage off.

Meiru hadn't gone to school the next day, or even the next week. Nobody answered the door at her house, she couldn't be found around town. It had surprised Yaito when she'd finally shown up, too quiet to make her attempts at 'normal' believable. She talked to her friends, did all of her schoolwork, and even laughed once or twice; but the new quietness was always waiting to sweep over her again.

"So, where are you and your friends going for junior high?" Mariko asked, causing her two students to look up in surprise.

Meiru showed no signs of wanting to start the conversation, so Yaito began, "Dekao's staying in Jawaii for the rest of his schooling. I think he said Chisao wanted to come here, though."

"Maybe you'll get to teach him, Mariko-sensei," Meiru said. "I'm going to the public school, and so is Tohru-kun."

"That's right," Mariko replied. "And I'm sure you're going along with them, right, Yaito?"

Both girls' smiles slipped a bit. "My coming back to Akihara Elementary was just so I could see everybody again. There's an excellent private junior high here in Japan, so I'm going there for now. With a mind like mine, it'll be a breeze! I'll definitely have time to visit, so it won't be as bad as Kingland was."

Mariko smiled. "I think that's the right choice, Yaito-chan. Just be sure to study hard!" She turned. "Well, there's my car. Good luck, both of you."

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Hikari Yuuichirou had told Meiru two theories. The first said that it was a mostly painless death, if the seat Netto had occupied was the one Rockman's PET had been found under. Between the shattered PET screen and the grime in the hardware, nobody was sure if the Navi inside had survived. According to the detectives, his Operator hadn't had much time to react (explaining why Rockman was under a seat in the first place); the ceiling had collapsed from the smaller initial bombs, and he'd suffered a concussion and been rendered unconscious. Whatever had happened to his body afterwards to reduce it to nothing, he hadn't felt anything at all. This had been meant to relieve some of Hikari-hakase and Meiru's sadness, but it didn't. Hikari Netto was dead, and she'd never been exceptionally close to anyone outside of the little group they'd managed to bring together. And with that group about to separate, possibly forever, she felt more alone than ever before.

The second theory-the one the investigators actually believed, in light of the fact that two other bodies hadn't been recovered-made Meiru want to cry all over again. Rockman's PET had simply been knocked from its holster in the explosion, skidding under the seat by chance. Netto and those two other missing people had tried to get help. Blindly, they had staggered into the depths of the subway tunnels, burned and bleeding and hurt beyond rational thought. They might not have even been together. Alone, searching for his family or friends or someone, anyone who would help, Netto had succumbed to his wounds. He'd collapsed, the life draining out of him, so far into the tunnel system that there was little hope of finding him before something or someone else did. And only then, alone, did he die.

She tried to tell herself to get some perspective in hopes that it would make her feel less sad. What she felt had to be nothing compared to Netto's family. The last time she'd seen either of her friend's parents, Hikari-hakase's unkempt hair and stubbled face had been in extreme contrast to his normal appearance. He'd been trying to recover Rockman's data almost single-mindedly, obsessed with finding something salvageable in the damaged components. It was like getting the Navi back was all that mattered; when Roll had mustered up the courage to ask about the funeral, he'd just mumbled something about 'Haruka's handling it' and returned to hunching over the tangle of parts, the melted husk stripped away to the side. Meiru had often wondered if recovering a Navi from such a damaged PET was even possible in the weeks following that visit, and if she and Roll would ever see Rockman again, much less set foot in the Ministry of Science.

"Meiru-chan?" The redhead looked down at Roll, startled out of her thoughts. "There's an e-mail for you. It's about... well..."

"Open it." Meiru read it in silence. "It's in two days."

She didn't have an all-black dress in her closet, and she didn't feel like leaving the house. It would have to wait until the next day. She laid back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. School always left her feeling drained now; at least she wouldn't have to go to that same classroom, always staring at his empty desk close to hers. That would help, not having any more reminders of him. Next year, someone else would sit in that desk, like Netto had never even been there. In middle school, she wouldn't miss it when he dozed off in the middle of history and she had to nudge him awake-which got her in trouble along with him if they got caught. What kind of nut would miss something like that? It was never like it was her fault when she got in trouble, it was always his. That wasn't entirely true; but whenever she got them in trouble, she almost never remembered to say sorry. She'd never get the chance now. Meiru watched as the ceiling blurred above her. She wiped at her face, wondering why she was crying when she was sick and tired of all these tears. Ever since he'd died, she felt like she'd been doing nothing but crying.

"It's been almost two weeks," she hissed, sitting up and wiping the second round of tears away with frustration. "I'm over it, I'm over it, I'm _over it!_"

"Meiru-chan..." Roll's pity just frustrated Meiru more; usually, it was followed by some kind of half-hearted reassurance that Meiru knew wasn't true. Nothing would change this, or make it better. All she could hope to do was push it away-was push Netto away. She couldn't bear the thought for long.

"Dresses," Meiru said after a minute. "Roll, I..." She took a shaky breath. "I'll go out to the store and find a dress. Let's go."


	2. The Empty Coffin

Rockman felt fuzzy all over.

He was in his creator's main computer, but the lights were all out. Yuuichirou must have gone home. Was that his creator? Yes, that was his name. Like Rockman was his name, Yuuichirou was his creator's. He couldn't remember much of anything after that, except that he was in the Ministry of Science.

_Oh, come on. Try harder._

Yuuichirou had a wife. He was father to Rockman and Netto both, in a way...

The last name stirred something in him. "Netto."

_And who is Netto?_

Not a moment later, it all came rushing in-

Netto was wonderful. Netto was frustrating. Netto was his Operator and best friend. They had met almost three years ago, and had been fast friends since. Doing his homework was his job, not Rockman's, and he'd do well to remember that when he slacked off and watched TV instead. Rockman had the impression that Netto played a lot of soccer when he was younger. There were still a few trophies collecting dust on the shelves in his room, and there were a couple of soccer balls at the bottom of the closet. He'd never asked about it, though; at the moment, skating and Netbattling were Netto's passions, and he was really good at both. Together, Netto and Rockman had saved the world. They'd done incredible things and seen fearsome, amazing, impossible sights-Pharaohman, Gospel, Laserman, Duo, Beyondard, Grezar-and neither of them would have it any other way. Netto sat in the third subway car, near the front and close to the doors, because the trip wouldn't be long and he was in a hurry to meet Meiru at the arcade. The first explosion threw him forward, and he hit his head hard on the seat in front of him. Then-

Rockman couldn't remember, but he knew what it had to mean.

"No."

_You're absolutely right, 'no'. That isn't everything. Come on, I know the connections need to be reattached in there, but you're so close-_

Now Rockman remembered more and more-not about the end, but everything before. And this voice was never in his memories. "Get out."

_I'm only trying to help-_

"Get out!"

A sigh rattled through Rockman's head. The pause was long enough for the Navi to think the voice was gone completely; he sank to the ground, the memories cropping up more bitter than anything.

_That's right. What'll you do now? Assist 'Papa' in his research while your friends get to carry on like before? That'll be boring. You seem so mild-mannered and sweet, but you've never wanted boring, not really._

"Just leave me alone!"

_Fine. But don't forget, I don't want boring, either._

With a click, the lights came on. The voice had left him, and a man with the same thick, brown hair his son had once shared rushed into the room to join him. Rockman felt sorry for Hikari Yuuichirou; he looked like a mess, his beard and clothes just as unkempt as his hair. Still, the fact that Rockman was awake seemed to give him some relief. "How do you feel?" he asked, quickly bringing up a window showing Rockman's data.

"I'm more worried about you," the Navi said honestly, touching a hand to the screen in front of him.

Yuuichirou shook his head. His smile was too small and half-hearted to wipe any of the sadness from his eyes. "I'm alive, aren't I? That's good enough. Please, don't worry about me, not now." He scrolled down the mountain of text. If he noticed Rockman's distraught state, he didn't comment on it. "Your old PET is in pieces," he recited, though Rockman could see it perfectly well from the monitor-a pile of cracked, blackened plastic, twisted metal, and charred silicon. "I'm afraid the Beast Chips were lost in the accident, along with any other items... your Operator had on his person. I'll be transferring you into a regular PET once I've finished reformatting your data."

Rockman looked down at himself; physically, he felt fine. "I still need work?"

"It's a miracle you're functioning properly. A lot of your data had to be rewritten, and your memory files are still in disarray; they look like they may have been scrambled by the accident, but I'm reluctant to touch them." Rockman needed no explanation as to why; their code was the most complex, and even a single letter written wrong could change a Navi's memories of a person or situation drastically. Most Navi specialists, Meijin and Yuuichirou included, felt that rewriting a Navi's memory files without permission was a violation of that Navi's privacy and were loath to do it. Before, if this had happened, Netto would've been able to correct his father if he got something wrong. Now, it was a shot in the dark. Still, having bugs in his memory would only lead to trouble.

"I'll need to think about it," Rockman finally said. Yuuichirou nodded.

"I should at least test the speed and accuracy of your recollection functions. Ready?"

Rockman bit his lip, remembering the voice from before. What if it was part of a glitch? Besides that, would he know what was right or wrong? Mustering his confidence, he said, "Yeah."

To the Navi's relief, Yuuichirou's first question had nothing to do with Netto. "When did Ford Motor Company start production of the Model T?"

"1908. 'Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.'"

Yuuichirou hadn't remembered the quote at first, but his face lit up in recognition after Rockman had said it. "Excellent! How many turns of the Krebs cycle occur per each glucose molecule?"

"Two."

"The quadratic formula?"

"Negative _b_ plus or minus the square root of _b_ squared minus four _ac_ over two _a._"

Yuuichirou had to think about his next one. "'Along the way to Maria's house, I saw a small rabbit.' Name the subject, verb, and prepositional phrases, along with what they modify."

Rockman was relieved-so far, every fact and comprehension skill was coming to him as easily as ever. "The subject is 'I', and the verb is 'saw'. 'Along the way' modifies the verb, 'to Maria's house' modifies 'way', and to finish it off, 'rabbit' is the direct object, which 'a' and 'small' modify," he finished triumphantly.

In a dialogue box next to Rockman, Yuuichirou was watching how the memory retrieval functions were executing with growing relief. "Everything that I installed into you when you were first created is functioning excellently. I might give a couple of things a little nudge later, but there's nothing drastically wrong."

The quizzing had distracted both of them from what had happened; neither of them looked forward to what came next. "Now you have to test my added memories," Rockman said quietly, looking down. Even though his sight hovered near Yuuichirou's waist, he knew the scientist was dreading this as much as he was.

Yuuichirou took a deep breath to prepare himself and began, "What is my wife's name?"

"...Haruka." It wasn't the instant recollection of a well-customized Navi, and Rockman knew it. "I... I don't remember her maiden name."

"It's all right. I don't think anyone ever told you." Yuuichirou was frowning. "What's her specialty? My favorite?"

"Her spaghetti." A moment later, Rockman quickly added, "Her meat spaghetti."

Yuuichirou's expression was grim as he asked, "Who were Nebula?"

He remembered fighting them in Cross Fusion, his and Netto's minds and bodies almost one-never again. He swallowed and began, "A-a group of criminal Navis, mostly Darkloids, under the command of two humans. Oozono Yuriko and-and-" A sick feeling welled up inside Rockman. "He didn't-we destroyed him and Laserman, but he didn't die after all, just became a-he was a sort of phantom or ghost, I guess, in the network-he kidnapped you-Duo killed him-_why can't I remember his name-_"

"Rockman. Rockman! It's all right." It wasn't, and both of them knew it. Rockman knew a Netto-related question was coming next from the way Yuuichirou steeled himself. "What were two of Netto's favorite Program Advances to use?"

It took Rockman more time than he wanted to remember the answer. While he did, he would sometimes slip into envisioning what Netto's body must have looked like after the fire and smoke had died away. Other times, he'd remember everything that happened in their many Netbattles before that shout of 'Program Advance!' and the final blow; Netto, determined and brave in the face of the Internet's worst... "Giga Cannon and Hyper Burst."

"Did Netto ever try to cook?"

"Once. He-"

-the first explosion threw him forward, and he hit his head hard on the seat in front of him and it looked like it hurt and Rockman wondered if Netto had cracked his head open, like an egg-they'd been trying to bake a cake using a package of cake mix that had been lying around, he'd gotten so many pieces of shell in the bowl that he spent the next five minutes fishing them out-

"Get rid of them," he choked, unable to stop remembering, dreading what he'd see next. "Please."

The lines on Yuuichirou's face grew deeper.

-but it turned out pretty well for a first attempt, and Netto said he'd be happy if all he could cook were cakes-he was crumpled on the floor when the second detonated-

"Please..." Yuuichirou didn't say anything. Rockman immediately felt bad. First his only son had died, now his creation wanted to forget all about his Operator-no small feat, seeing as Netto and Rockman had been together for the Navi's entire life. "No. I-I didn't know what I was saying, I'm sorry. How's-" it felt wrong to say 'Mama' when she'd lost her son "-Haruka?"

"It's all right. You can still call us 'Papa' and 'Mama'," Yuuichirou reassured the Navi. "I haven't been able to see her in a while. I thought that when you came back, we'd both go home for a few weeks. She's been worried about you; she'll feel a little better knowing you aren't gone, too. But tomorrow's the funeral-she'll be busy."

"She's in charge of it?"

"Yes." Yuuichirou took out a Link PET-plain and white, lacking a Navi symbol or one of the faceplates Netto and his friends put on theirs-and connected it. Rockman had to search the PET's command menu before he could find how to appear as a hologram. He hadn't recovered the knowledge, though he remembered appearing on Netto's shoulder many times.

The subject change hadn't given Rockman any relief. He asked, "How bad did it look?"

Yuuichirou sighed. "I'm hoping that your main problem is in connections-in most of your lapses, your internal programs searched for and found what was missing. That gave me a good idea of what to look for in most cases, but we'll have to go through and make sure I've got it all right. But in a few spots, there's just nothing stored there-the memory's completely gone. And there's a good chance that it isn't just this one glitch that could cause problems. You're functioning, but how long will that last? I'll shut you down for now and go over your files to see if I can spot anything obvious. I owe you that much." Rockman wanted to protest, but Yuuichirou was already typing. A deeper haze settled over him, and the blue Navi drifted into sleep mode.

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When he next came to, it was in the white Link PET. Above him, Yuuichirou typed directions into the car's system. He was wearing a black suit, which absorbed all the sunlight hitting it without any shining off the fabric. A wave of shock hit Rockman: they were headed for the funeral. "Good morning, Papa," he said almost automatically.

Yuuchirou's face was clean-shaven and his hair was damp. "Hello, Rockman. I guess you can tell from my clothes what's going to happen." Yuuichirou's car was outfitted with a number of programs to drive it. Once it was in motion, he picked Rockman's PET up from where it lay on the passenger's seat. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, Papa." After a thought, he tried to remember who else had made up the human part of Nebula. He couldn't.

Rockman's frustration must have shown on his face, because Yuuichirou said, "I wasn't able to get far. It was getting late when I first put you into sleep mode, and I needed to head home and get ready." He looked up to make sure the programs were steering the right way, then continued, "I can't be entirely sure what's missing, but I can guess. You don't remember Medi having an Operator, do you?"

"Of course she didn..." Yuuichirou's brows came just a bit closer, and Rockman knew he was wrong. "Oh."

"There are other things you seem to have forgotten. You may have managed to compress many of your meetings with Dingo and Tomahawkman into one short, convoluted story, for one thing." Rockman remembered Netto's meeting with the Ameroupian Netbattlers involving the regional art museum, fireworks, and lots of curry. Dingo had also inexplicably pulled out a Synchro Chip in the middle and Cross Fused. It was so hard to believe when Rockman thought about it, but it had happened; he could remember it clearly. And yet it hadn't. He couldn't trust his own memory.

"Papa..."

When Rockman looked up, he felt his eyes widen in surprise; Yuuichirou was meeting his gaze, the most intent look on his face that the Navi had ever seen. "It's not your fault, Rockman. None of this is. Remember that." The car came to a stop, and Yuuichirou took Rockman's PET and stepped out of the car.

Rockman's sturdy, pre-programmed knowledge told him that the opulent, flower and food-filled table that faced him and Yuuichirou when they entered the room was actually pretty standard as funeral altars went. A dark-green wall provided a backdrop to the display. Pinwheels of flowers, ones that could have just as easily decorated an amusement park or garden show, dotted the table, and fruit was arranged in a similar manner. On top of the casket was a picture of Netto grinning widely at the camera. The corners had one wide black ribbon over them, with a thinner white one in the other's center: an arrangement that any Japanese person knew meant that the person pictured was dead. Rockman wasn't sure what was inside the casket other than the traditional garments, a few paper zenny notes-only ever used for funerals now with the advent of the PET-and Netto's bandanna and other things that were indispensable to him in life. A few people Rockman had never met were collecting money from the other funeral-goers, and Yuuichirou gave them a large envelope of his own. To be collecting money, they had to be Netto's relatives. The envelopes also had the distinctive ribbons at the corners.

"Yuuichirou!" Rockman looked up, surprised. Meijin was striding over, dressed in a suit nearly identical to Yuuichirou's own. Rockman had nearly expected to see a lab coat on top of the suit, but he was disappointed. "I haven't seen you out of the lab in weeks. You shouldn't keep a lovely lady like Haruka in the cold, you know!"

"I'll apologize as soon as I can," Yuuichirou said sheepishly. "After this, I'm planning on staying home for a while. I can trust you not to present me with a smoldering wreck where the Ministry of Science was when I get back, can't I?" Meijin shrugged innocently. "Don't sweat it. Worse things have happened when I'm around, haven't they? I'm going to greet the guests." Yuuichirou left for the entrance.

To his surprise, Rockman was left floating in the air. He looked down to see that his PET had changed hands, and he and Meijin were now the only two in their corner of the hall. The scientist was looking at the flowers and gifts on the altar's left side, expression unreadable with his glasses in the way. Rockman wondered how respectful the priests thought such distinctive eyewear was. "There's a lot there."

"Yeah. Rockman..." Meijin took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to say. "When I was in college, I created my first custom Navi. His name was Punk." Rockman couldn't see Meijin's eyes through the glasses. The effect was almost like Meijin was looking past Rockman and seeing his memories of his own Navi. "He was amazing in a fight. Even you would've had some trouble against him. We were the best Netbattlers in school, and inseparable friends. Neither of us noticed how jealous the other students got." He paused, ran a hand through his hair, and continued on. "During a midterm I had my junior year, we were told to put both our notes and our PETs away in the back of the room during the exam. When I went to get my stuff... he was gone. I kept looking for weeks until I finally had to give up."

Rockman knew all too well what it was like to have someone taken away so quickly. "That's terrible!"

"Like I said, he was intense in a Netbattle-a lot of people thought too intense-and a ruthless taunter to boot. It was easy to take some of the things he said the wrong way, but he was just messing around, and they didn't understand that. I didn't, sometimes. Nobody who'd fought him was sad to see him go." Then, a more determined look came over him. "But I didn't give up on my classes because of anything they said, or because I'd lost him. I did the best I could, because I knew he'd think I was an idiot for letting that stuff hold me back."

Rockman was quiet for a moment. "I... I see what you're saying." His voice grew faster, more ardent. "But we had so much more to do, and so did you and Punk! If we would've been more careful-I'm not saying you, you couldn't help it-I mean me and Netto. Those bombs' detonators had to have a network or something I could've spotted-"

"Yes, and what if I'd called him out on all that teasing? What if I'd apologized for him instead of letting it stand, or told him to take it easy once in a while?" Meijin shook his head. "I could dwell over the what-ifs and the should'ves until the end of time, Rockman, but that doesn't change anything. He's gone, and it hurt a lot at first, but life's gone on without him." He paused. "That was a bit too blunt, wasn't it? What I'm trying to say is that things will get better from here. You don't feel like it now, but you'll cherish your memories of Netto. Give it time before you do something drastic like erase them." Rockman opened his mouth, about to protest that he'd never want to forget Netto and he hadn't known what he was saying, but everyone was starting to take their seats, and Meijin left to sit on the opposite end of the room. Rockman looked up to see that Yuuichirou had returned.

The rest of the funeral passed by like a bad dream, thanks in part to one uninvited visitor:

_It's too short,_ the voice observed as the priest finished his summary of Netto's life. _Even if the words are all ancient, it's still obvious it's incomplete._

Rockman screwed his eyes shut and hoped the voice would just go away. He couldn't exactly tell it off right now; the room was full of people, and they were all completely silent. Yuuichirou and Haruka got to their feet, one after another, and Rockman watched the coffin drift closer and closer. The traditional offering of incense was made, Rockman bowing in the PET along with Yuuichirou, and the flowers went past-_Wonder what they'll do with the ones the guests'll put in the casket? _the voice cut in._ Not like there's anything to burn-_and the whole time, he was in a daze, thinking, _This can't be happening. This can't be happening._ Relatives he'd never even met got up from their seats on the right side of the room next, and soon the procession of family members ended. They were followed by a steady stream of faces he knew-Enzan, Meiru, Dekao, Chisao, Yaito, Mariko-some hiding their grief better than others. Rockman was amazed at the number of guests from the left side of the room. Almost all of the group marked by Duo, a few classmates he'd never seen much of, and many, many people he and Netto had saved from one of the numerous threats they'd faced filed past. Hazuki Yui was sobbing as she clapped her hands together in front of the altar; it took Rockman a moment to remember who she was. _He did so much for everyone,_ Rockman realized. _All these people..._ And for every guest, there would probably be at least one flower. They were supposed to be burned with the body, but there wasn't one. Would they just burn the flowers? A jar of flowers, was that all they'd have of Hikari Netto?

_It isn't right,_ hissed the voice. Rockman shivered; he'd been thinking the same thing. The priest wouldn't be dismissing the mourners any time soon; there was still a long line of people standing there. He could pick out the former World Three members waiting their turn, to his surprise. _There's a piece of this puzzle missing. Something you need to see. Something they don't want to admit, because they just can't explain it._ Rockman wished the voice would quit playing around and tell him just what it was talking about. _The case file, of course, _it chided instantly. _You're a Net Savior and the Navi of one of the victims. Getting in should be easy, and once you've gotten a look... Well, it should answer all of your questions. _The queue was finally getting smaller. Rockman couldn't wait for it to be over-the whole thing was becoming more and more unnerving the more the voice spoke, and he couldn't wait to tell Yuuichirou about the voice so it could be taken out by force. _You won't play? Fine._ Rockman did his best to tune it out and focus on the priest's dismissal.

_Just answer me this: why did they wait so long for the funeral? You know it should've taken place within days of his death. _Rockman blinked. He hadn't even noticed that-having only been reactivated the previous day, he'd missed whatever period had taken place between the bombing and now. _Weeks. It's been over two weeks._

"That is strange," he murmured to himself, then looked around quickly. No one had heard him. "But there's got to be some other explanation-"

_Take a chance, Rockman. Trust me._

The crowd placed their flowers in the casket and dispersed, having given their final farewell to Netto... but for Rockman, the investigation was only beginning.

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**A/N:** Whoa, loads of hits and reviews on the first chapter within days of its being posted! A huge thank you to farfetched4 and the two guests for the reviews, I hope you continue to enjoy where this goes. Also, thanks to Amalasuintha and farfetched4 for following and favoriting!

Now that I've recovered from falling out of my chair in shock, I guess I had better properly explain this fic rather than just drop it onto the site with no author's note and assume my reviewer from the last fic would be the only one reviewing. Sorry about that. This is a prequel to the two Rockman fics I've posted previously, Neo Alliances and Grand Championship. Readers of the previous fics might better understand why things are how they are in them from reading this, but you don't have to know anything about the previous fics to understand this one. In fact, if you're coming in cold, you're riiiiight where I start being evil to nearly every character. Which I think is a very nice place to be for a reader!

Reviews are very much appreciated. I always update once a week, almost always sometime Saturday (EST), occasionally Sunday if my Saturday is too hectic. So I'll see you next week!


	3. Dawning

Meiru found herself in the black dress she'd bought for the funeral, cutting an onion. It was a painful discovery-she'd missed the clear path down to the onion and scraped her knuckle with her knife, and it was bleeding like crazy. She yelped in surprise and closed her mouth around the wound instinctively, looking around for a towel.

"Meiru-chan, maybe you should fix something simpler," Roll suggested. "I'm sure you're distracted..."

"Right," Meiru agreed. She didn't feel distracted so much as just not there. She was about to go to her best friend's funeral, and she wasn't even thirteen yet. None of it seemed fair, or even real. Meiru felt almost certain she was dreaming, like she had felt many times since Netto's death.

The doorbell rang, giving Meiru her second shock of the day. She half-ran to the door, knuckle still in mouth, and then caught herself and lowered her hand to her side as she opened the door. "Hikari-san!"

Netto's mother was waiting at the gate with a basket in her arms. Meiru pushed the button that would let her in. "Meiru-chan, good morning! I just wanted to make sure you were all right," Hikari-san said, walking up to the front door. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Meiru said. As Hikari-san entered and began to remove her shoes, Meiru realized, "I haven't cleaned the floor in a while, I'm so sorry about how it looks..."

"No, it's fine," Hikari-san said. She seemed much more like herself than her husband had the last time Meiru had seen him; there was resolve in her eyes, but Meiru wasn't quite sure why. "I don't notice anything, even after you said that!" she laughed.

"That's a relief," Meiru said. "I wish I had something to offer you, especially this early in the morning-"

"It's fine," Hikari-san said, looking around. "Where are your parents?" she asked, sitting down.

"On a business trip," Meiru said, with no positive or negative feeling about it. "You can stay as long as you'd like," she continued, more friendly now.

"Well, then, it's a good thing I came," Hikari-san said. "Have you had anything to eat? I brought you a cake, but you shouldn't have that for breakfast..." When Meiru shook her head, Hikari-san noticed the current state of the kitchen counter. "Oh, what's this?"

"Ah!" Meiru recalled, "I was planning on making some miso soup..."

"So you like Japanese breakfasts!" Hikari-san said, moving to the counter with confidence. "Then that must be rice cooking on the stove. Are you all right? It looks like you must've cut yourself..."

"It just scraped my knuckle, I'm fine," Meiru said before Hikari-san could get too worried. "I always hold what I'm cutting so my fingertips are a little further away from my knife." In a way, it was a relief to talk about things like this; it made it much easier to focus on _right now_ instead of _this afternoon_.

"That's how you're supposed to do it-you certainly know your stuff," Hikari-san said, washing onion and knife off thoroughly. By the time she was done, it looked as if there had never been any accident. "I'm surprised you were cooking miso, though!" she said, chopping at an impressive speed. "Since your mother's Ameroupian, I always thought your family would cook more Western-style meals. Do you have tofu in there?" she asked, pointing out the fridge.

"Yes," Meiru said, before answering Hikari-san's other comment. "Well, we tend to have Ameroupian-style meals when my parents are home... but, honestly, I prefer Japanese," she admitted. "I get recipes off the Internet." Her mother's Ameroupian cookbooks were lying around, and they were fine for cookies and cakes, but the other recipies were just okay in Meiru's opinion. Japanese meals were what she'd grown up with, and on days like these, they were what she wanted to eat.

"That's a relief for me," Hikari-san said. In the time it had taken for Meiru to explain, Hikari-san had managed to finish all the chopping. There were onions, carrots, bok choy, and tofu cubes, thinly sliced in order to cook quickly, all waiting for the water to boil. In a small bowl to the side, scallions were ready to be added to the fully cooked soup. A larger bowl held the miso paste that would be added after the vegetables and water were cooked and hot. "I don't know that much about cooking Western-style breakfasts. I am learning, though!" A moment later, she exclaimed, "Oh, here we are!" The water must have been boiling; Hikari-san deftly pushed the vegetables into the pot with her knife.

"I wish I could do so well," sighed Meiru as Hikari-san put the chopping board and knife down-not a single bit of food had been lost.

"It's all right, you've got plenty of time to improve," Hikari-san said as she reduced the heat and set the timer. "I wasn't cooking nearly as much as you do when I was your age!"

"I do, don't I? I've got all the time in the world..." Meiru had tried to sound normal when she said it, but there must have been something wrong with it anyway. Hikari-san turned to look at her, concern in her eyes, and was at Meiru's side in an instant. Roll, noticing this, bounded across the room in hologram form to watch over the soup and rice.

"It's okay to be upset," Hikari-san said, pulling up a chair.

"It's not _fair_," Meiru sobbed, leaning into Hikari-san when she put an arm around Meiru's shoulders. "It's just not-!"

"Oh, you poor dear..." Hikari-san made a 'tsk' sound, then scooted a little closer so Meiru's head could comfortably fit in the crook of her neck. "There are so many things that aren't fair in the world," she said, her voice soft and soothing. "But we have to get through them, just the same."

"I know... I know I have to," Meiru said miserably. "But I don't know how."

Hikari-san sighed in sympathy, a hand softly rubbing Meiru's back as the girl's tears gradually began to exhaust themselves. When Meiru was calmer, she spoke again. "Maybe it'd help to think of it as a test, Meiru-chan."

"But a test... it's just a piece of paper," Meiru babbled. "It doesn't-_hurt_ people, or take them away forever."

"It's a different sort of test. It's a test of you as a person, not of your penmanship or your math skills. Still, it's like a math test, in a way. It's hard, but it won't last forever. So as long as you keep going..."

"As long as I just do the best I can..."

"Eventually, the test will be over. And you'll have learned something, for the future."

Even though she had stopped crying, Meiru was reluctant to pull away from Hikari-san's embrace. There was a lot to think about, now that she was calmer. "I guess I should've been better-prepared for this," she said. "I mean, Netto put himself in danger so many times... I think he believed he'd live through anything," she said. It was an optimism that was so completely Netto, Meiru couldn't help but smile for half a second at the thought. More soberly, she continued, "And as long as he thought that, I was content to think it, too, even if I knew better."

"Who were we to make him worry, when he had so much to worry about? Even if we did show our concern, I know he would've just told us to stop worrying." Hikari-san's head on Meiru's was replaced by her hand, smoothing down Meiru's hair. "I agreed to the Net Savior job," she said, eyes distant with thought when Meiru looked over. "But I never really approved of it. I don't think any mother could."

"What if you'd said no?" Meiru asked, though she already knew the answer.

Sure enough, Hikari-san said, "He'd have done it all anyway, whether the police helped and we allowed it or not. It was better for him to not get in trouble for it, and to be able to live a normal life outside of it."

That, of course, had meant not wondering when his luck would run out. Meiru slowly breathed out, thinking. "So it really couldn't have gone any other way."

"It couldn't have," Hikari-san confirmed.

"Soup's ready!" Roll called, a second before the timer buzzed.

Hikari-san got to her feet, her energy suddenly back to its usual level. "Thank you, Roll-chan!" As usual, she made avoiding spills look effortless; the miso paste was blended into the water and returned to the pot in no time, and Hikari-san was setting down a bowl of miso soup and a smaller bowl of rice in front of Meiru not long after.

Meiru and Hikari-san clapped their hands together, said the traditional phrase to begin the meal, and started eating. The soup was delicious, its warmth comforting. There was always something nice to Meiru about not eating alone, especially when the company was someone as kind as Hikari-san. When they were both finished eating, Hikari-san asked, "Are you free this weekend?"

"Um... yeah, I should be," Meiru said, thinking aloud.

"There's a group that's doing a bake sale for charity. The proceeds are going to help the families of the victims-a lot of them are struggling to get their feet under them. I was planning on baking some simple things, like brownies and cakes, and I'm always glad to have a little extra help!"

It seemed like such a nice thing to do, and its sentiment reminded Meiru that she wasn't alone. So many other people had been killed, so many families and friends were feeling the way she did. It was easy to fall into the trap of thinking it had been about Netto because he had been such a threat to the sort of people who would plant a bomb in a subway, but it was like the investigators said-it wasn't just about him, not at all. "Of course," she said. "What time should I show up?"

"Anytime," Hikari-san said. "I'm even going to buy extra plates for this!"

"I'll be there first thing," Meiru decided.

"Thanks!" Haruka next asked, "Roll-chan, what time is it?"

"Eleven-fifty," the Navi responded.

"Already?" Hikari-san asked with dismay. She sighed and looked back at Meiru. "I wish I could stay, but I've got to get ready," she said. Both Meiru and her guest got to their feet, putting their bowls in the sink before heading in the direction of the door.

"Thank you for everything, Hikari-san," Meiru said as she opened the door.

"It was no problem," Hikari-san told Meiru. "And remember-you're always welcome in my house!"

Meiru was surprised at first, but then repeated, "Thank you!"

"No problem, no problem!"

As Meiru closed the door, her eyes traveled over the walls filled with landscape pictures, the shelves filled with reference books, the tasteful but uncomfortable sofa in the next room whose soft pillows she'd added herself, the floor that was always spotless because only one person ever seemed to use it. Her parents had begun their current business trip before the subway incident, but they hadn't called, and Meiru knew that they wouldn't even be aware Netto had died when they came home. They would sweep in, leave another decoration or replace another piece of furniture, give her another piece of clothing that would be a size too small or large, and sweep out. Off to lift the company they worked for to new heights, off to ensure that their family's quality of living stayed the same even in rough times. It was easier to be understanding toward them when there were friends to be found around town.

"I've got to get out of here," Meiru murmured to herself, and turned back around. "I'll just be early, Roll," she told her concerned Navi. As she passed through the front gate and it swung shut after her, she reflected, "It sure was nice of Hikari-san to come over like that."

"You seem to be in better spirits than earlier this morning," Roll said.

"Yeah. I guess it really does help to talk to other people about it," Meiru said. She reached the small business area near the neighborhood soon, where mom-and-pop appliance stores and thrift shops reigned. Once, there had been a toy store here, nestled between a specialty shop that only carried a very high-end fashion line and an antique store. She and Netto had been frequent customers when they were small, with Hikari-san supplying each of them with a small amount of money to spend on one toy. But now, it was gone. Meiru walked by the space it had once occupied and looked through the window, knowing what she'd find. It was now a jewelry store, which eight-year-old Netto had bemoaned at length when the change had taken place. Now that she was older, Meiru understood why it had happened; as the economy had worsened, parents had become less likely to buy their children so many toys, and the original owners had probably been left with no choice but to close the place down. There was no sign of the original layout except for the desk the cash register sat on, now loaded with cheap glass beads.

It was sad to think of how much of her childhood was becoming little more than a memory. Meiru looked away, across the street. Nearly everyone on the sidewalk was moving, though there was a good-sized crowd waiting in front of the restaurant. There were also two men standing a little ways down the road, apart from most of the walkers and waiters. As Meiru passed by them, words like 'capacitors' and 'testing' floated across the street. It was odd, but she wasn't much in the mood to dwell on it. She walked on, steeling her resolve a little more with every step.

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After the funeral, Meiru hadn't felt like walking home just yet. She stood at the entrance to the funeral hall, taking in the day around her as it began to come to a close. The weather was pleasant; if it hadn't been for what had just happened, Meiru would've even called the day nice. As it was, she took in the nicely landscaped grounds in silence.

"I almost felt like I was in his shadow toward the end."

Meiru turned, surprised to hear Enzan's voice. He walked forward to stand at her level, thoughtfully regarding the sleek facade of the funeral hall. "Just look at everything he's accomplished. He and Rockman had so many powerful abilities in their arsenal that he could always overpower anything that came his way. He erased an entire world's problems practically by waving a hand..." By the end of his recollection, there was no scrutiny left in his expression. He looked as lost as she felt. "How can he be gone just like that?"

Meiru looked back up at the vine pattern that crept up the sides of the building. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "He's always been there, my whole life. I've never imagined going on without him." She laughed shakily. "I guess it's true that people don't like change, huh?"

Enzan looked over at her for a moment, his expression thoughtful. Then, his gaze shifted away as he put his hands in his pockets. "It's different for me. I've only really gotten to know him over the past year. He's changed my view on a lot of things, even in such a short time."

Meiru thought about it, then nodded in agreement. "That's true. There are so many friends I have now that I never would've met without him. Like you, and Laika, and Dingo." She thought about that, looking over at the rose bushes planted nearby. "I guess we should be thankful for what he helped us find, huh? Even if it feels like there's something missing now." They contemplated the rose bushes in companionable silence for a while, the sunlight reflecting off the leaves slowly taking on an orange tint. Meiru found her mind returning to Hikari-san's visit that morning. "Do you think we'll ever really be able to move on?"

"Of course," Enzan said immediately. "There's no way to go but forward." It sounded a lot like Hikari-san's sentiment; Meiru saw Enzan's point almost immediately. There were days and weeks and months and even years ahead without Netto. Her whole life was waiting, and it wouldn't stop even with him gone. "Keep in touch, okay?" Enzan asked, startling Meiru out of her thoughts.

"I will," she said. "I promise!"

"Good," Enzan said, walking back the way he'd come-to a limo that Meiru had only now noticed. She watched him get into it; then, without skipping a beat, it pulled away.

Seconds later, her PET chimed to signal a new mail. It contained Enzan's number, which Roll was quick to store away. "Should I respond with your number?" she asked.

"Of course," Meiru said. "I bet he'll probably still be in the Net Saviors," she mused, heading in the opposite direction. "Maybe that way you can still visit Rockman, Roll."

"Yes. And, Meiru-chan..."

"Yeah?" she asked, taking her PET out of the special pocket that had been sewn into her dress.

"I think going forward'll be different from what anyone expected. But it won't be all bad." Roll smiled. "I'm sure it'll work out eventually!"

Meiru nodded. "Maybe it will." She couldn't muster up much enthusiasm, though. Now that it was all over and she was walking home, she felt drained again, like all the life had been sucked out of her. It wasn't even from dread or sadness, like it had been before-the feeling was impossible to explain, but there all the same. She slipped Roll's PET back into her pocket, the pink Navi jumping out to sit on her Operator's shoulder.

When the ground began to rumble, Meiru couldn't muster up much surprise. Japan was especially prone to earthquakes, so the sensation wasn't new. It just made getting home more of a priority. By her side, Roll gasped as she neared the little park on the outskirts of the small business section, but Meiru didn't look up. She was in the sidewalk, wasn't she? The chances of a car running her over weren't likely.

It took her a couple of seconds to register the boiling fountain water and screaming kids, and she barely noticed the windows of the shops rattling in their panes. It was when the streetlights overhead suddenly flickered on that she really took notice; it was when they started to grow brighter and brighter that she became alarmed. She ran to the middle of the street just before the bulbs shattered. From there, she finally noticed the glass windows surrounding her, straining against invisible pressure. The shock only paralyzed her for a second, after which she dropped to the ground and shielded the top of her head with her arms. She heard the windows burst out in a surprisingly loud clatter, like a hundred wineglasses being dropped on the road at once. The fountain's water was starting to drain away; it had probably sprung a leak. Meiru looked around quickly, trying to find a relatively safe place to hide out until whatever this was had passed.

Though she hadn't been in a state of mind to pay attention to them at all before, the people Meiru spotted in the nearby alley made something click in her head: she realized that they'd been there earlier in the day. They didn't look panicked at all. One of them was holding a tablet computer, watching it carefully. The other was disconnecting what looked like sensors of some kind from the walls and pavement, bundling them into a black bag.

"We done here?" the one with the computer shouted over the chaos.

"You bet," said the other. "We'll just let this place shake itself to the ground now!"

"It's them," Meiru realized under her breath. "They did this." As they turned away, she slowly picked herself up, watching as the bag-carrying one removed the manhole cover further down the alley. Both of the men climbed down, and then an arm appeared to drag the cover closed.

"Meiru-chan?" Roll wondered. But her Operator had made up her mind; she'd already crossed the street, mindful of the glass, and was pulling up the manhole cover with all of her strength. As she climbed down the ladder into the sewer below, she noticed how much water was flowing past below her. It couldn't just be the fountain that was having problems, if there was that much flooding. "Meiru-chan, are you sure about-"

An especially violent rumble shook the street above, and Meiru was caught halfway down the ladder; her hand and feet lost their grip on the lower rungs, and she screamed as gravity took control.

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**A/N: **And of course, the week after I say I update on Saturdays, I wind up having to postpone until Sunday due to a case of exploding closet. It should all be fixed by tomorrow, though, so it should be Saturday next week? Hopefully?

A huge thanks to MysteriousClue for favoriting and following, and a hearty welcome back to MI3! I think you just might start to see more of how this ties into the previous ones with next week's installment. ;)

farfetched4, glad you're liking it so far! Hope whatever's keeping you offline goes well (or has gone well, depending on when you read this)!

And thanks to this week's guest for reviewing! I hope you don't mind the addition of a little action to this angst. :P


	4. Deepest Black

The efficiency of the Japanese sewer system meant that while the amount of water gushing through the sewer tunnel was far greater than normal, there still wasn't as much water between Meiru and the bottom as she would've liked. Hitting the concrete forced half of her last breath of fresh air out of her lungs. Though she didn't swallow any of the sewer water, Meiru still wanted to gag as she struggled to her feet. For her, no amount of panic could drive away the stench of waste water. She didn't even want to know what her skin, especially from her still-submerged thighs down, was soaking up.

"Meiru-chan, are you all right?" Meiru snatched the PET out of the dress pocket, hoping the thick cotton had kept most of the water away from the PET.

"Roll!" The Navi's image seemed clear as ever, and the plastic casing was damp but not soaked. "I... I didn't think about you at all, Roll, I'm sorry..."

Other noises began to register: splashes that were nearly drowned out by the shouting that grew louder with every second. She and Roll weren't alone. There were two smaller pipes leading out on either side, barely small enough for her to squeeze into. Hopefully, the men would notice the smell and not the loud sound of suppressed water forcing its way out from the blocked-up pipe on the left. Meiru held her PET close to her soggy chest-it was better than putting it in the path of the water.

"You sure it came from over here?"

"Positive." Now that the two men were closer, Meiru could see how far apart they were in age. The younger one was holding his nose shut with one hand and his black bag in the other, but it didn't seem to be doing anything for the smell or his temper. "I swear, I heard something!"

"You're just hearing things because you're upset about the results," the older man said. "It's always this loud. Now, come on, let's try to get out of here before midnight this time."

"That's not it! How come you never listen to me..." Indistinct mutterings echoed back to Meiru and Roll as the men walked away.

"They really did do this," Roll whispered.

"I know." Meiru listened to the splashes grow further and further away with half an ear. After a moment, she dislodged herself from her hiding spot, slipping her legs into the water as quietly as she could. "That's why I'm following them."

Roll nearly did a double take. "Meiru-chan!"

Meiru's voice held more determination than it had in a long time. "If I don't, who will? And who'll stop them from getting this program of theirs?"

"I..." Roll's Operator had a point. Still, the Navi protested, "But, Meiru-chan, what if they catch you? Maybe we should wait here and see if someone else'll come..." Meiru shook her head.

"I know you're worried, and I guess I understand. But I bet nobody else even saw who's behind this, and the police are probably busy helping everyone up there who got caught in it. We can't wait for anyone to save us now, it might take weeks! Besides..." She gave her Navi a small smile. "It's what Netto would do, right?"

"Meiru-chan..." Roll looked up at her Operator for a long moment. "They can't have gotten too far. Let's go."

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Rockman was glad that his Net Savior status authorized him to enter the high-security archive with the data on the bombing. Not having to disable any firewalls made things much easier. It was time to disprove that voice, once and for all. None of the security cameras had survived to show any footage, making the archive much smaller than most data rooms of its kind; there were only one hundred four files, each with a picture of the victim in life and many more of him or her in death. Rockman scanned the titles, not wanting to open them up and see the pictures of smiling faces alongside their charred bones. He came to the H section, found the title 'Hikari', and opened it.

The information was minuscule, even by this case's standards. It had the victim's name, age (Rockman paused at that; Netto had been looking forward to his thirteenth birthday, had even told his family what kind of cake he'd have and who he'd invite, but now it would never happen), occupation, and a note: 'Bloodstains around front left seats of second car match DNA.' There weren't any pictures of child-size bones, though his last school picture beamed at his former Navi. Instead, there were the promised bloodstains. Rockman had to grit his teeth against crying out when he saw the first picture; it was of his old PET, caked with dried blood and smashed almost beyond recognition, its screen shattered and missing shards. Some of the missing pieces were captured near the PET in the next photograph, which had been taken at the scene. Splatters of blood seemed to be everywhere on the floor and on the wall, and there was one last thing that linked the scene to Netto beyond any doubt: a rust-red strip of cloth, small patches remaining blue even after all the blood it had absorbed. It was turned so that the Hikari family's symbol could be made out in the next picture, browning and stiff with dried blood.

A few more shots of the bloodstains came after those first five, and then came written notes on the splatters and what conjectures could be made from the facts. But there were no bones. The forensics team even made a note of it at the file's very end, as if grudgingly admitting that they'd found all of this evidence that Netto was there but no concrete proof that he'd burned to death. Rockman had been a school student's Net Navi, and had every bit of scientific knowledge that anyone of that age would want to know programmed into him. He knew that it took extremely high temperatures to reduce most bones to ash, and even then some wouldn't be completely gone. An incident like this wouldn't have provided the heat, even if Netto had been right next to a bomb.

Rockman closed the file and left at a run, not stopping until he'd returned to his PET.

"But... That can't be, what I remember is backed up by that report. But what if it is..."

He sank to a crouch, eyes wide, his arms wrapping around his waist as he thought and thought again. But no matter what, he returned to the same possibility every time.

"That voice could be right."

As if it had been waiting for him to say that, it asked, _So? What did you find?_

"You're in my head, aren't you? You should know," snapped Rockman.

_Good point. You know what that data means, don't you? _Rockman remained stubbornly silent. _It's hard for me to believe that someone would take all of Netto-kun's charred, unrecognizable-at-a-glance bones away-correct that, it's borderline impossible. Your Operator is alive._

"I've told you before... that's not true," Rockman told the voice shakily.

_I don't know why you're fighting me. Out of habit, maybe?_

"I saw the explosions, and nobody can bring back the dead. He's gone now, just leave me alone!"

_Poor, poor dear. You've forgotten how it happened, haven't you? Couldn't stand it, knowing that no one would ever believe you?_

Rockman's glare looked like it was fixed on nothing; that couldn't have been further from the truth. "I told you to go away. Meijin-san's right, I can't dwell on this forever!"

_There was a bomb, yes. But there were men, too. _Memories, vague ones that could have been real or false, dragged themselves out from the depths of Rockman's mind. _There's a chance. We just have to look together. _

They became clearer and clearer, details flooding in until they seemed real enough. "He was kidnapped," the blue Navi said quietly. "Those men in the black suits were no businessmen. They made it look like he'd died, but they just drugged him and carried him off! They smashed my PET, not the subway car. They cut his arm open so it'd bleed everywhere. All of those people died just so they could take Netto-kun away..." He was silent for a moment. Netto among people like that... Was he even still alive? What were they doing to him? He quickly shook his head; he had to hope for the best. Determined, he stated, "And they're out there, somewhere. He's out there. You... you know where Netto-kun is, don't you?" The voice was silent. "Please, take me to him."

_So, we'll work together?_

"Yes," Rockman said, itching to begin the search.

_I knew you'd come around. Now, all you have to do is relax. Let yourself go for a moment..._ As he did, Rockman felt something squirming inside of him. The sensation was unnerving, but the voice said, _No, no, that's normal. Ignore it; here, let me help you._ It was like his mind was being forced offline. Things were beginning to fade, then jolting back to life as spots swam before his eyes-_this wasn't right_-

"It would also be helpful for you to not scream."

After that, Rockman felt nothing.

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"I haven't been thinking about you, have I?"

Roll looked up, surprised. They'd been tracking the men in silence for a while, careful to keep to spots where Meiru could hide if one of them looked back. The Navi was using her PET's GPS service to track where they were going and hopefully find a real-world address for the Net Police to come calling at. The two men and their tracker had come a long way, almost to Densan City's farther and less populated reaches. The water that normally would've dried away by now hadn't been helped by the strange tremor. They passed by areas where it was pouring in. Up ahead, the men would order their Navi to make a note of it, then move on. Meiru's murmur, so quiet the tunnels didn't even pick it up, almost felt like a shout after so long with no noise but splashing. "Meiru-chan, you fell off a ladder when the sewer was flooded. I don't think you could've stayed very dry even if you wanted."

"Not just before, but... this whole time." They came into a more open area. Roll and Meiru looked around in awe; below them, the water was speeding up, tugging on the heels of Meiru's black Mary Janes as it prepared to fall into a huge pool of murky water. A flight of stairs that led into it was unappealing to both them and the men ahead of them. The black mold on the walls didn't take away from how impressively tall this area was, at least three stories high. Immense as it was, Meiru couldn't linger long. Instead of taking the stairwell up, the men had continued on through a tunnel on the opposite end.

Remembering her mission also made Meiru remember what she'd started to say. "You must've been worried sick about Rockman, but I never even bothered going to the Ministry of Science after that time when Meijin-san invited us. I've wasted almost an entire _month-_" she paused, hoping the men hadn't heard how loud that came out, then continued softly, "-an entire month just moping around. Netto wouldn't want to be remembered like that, and he definitely wouldn't want me just ignoring you the way I have."

"Meiru-chan..." Words finally caught up with Roll. "You don't need to apologize to me, not after what's been happening. I'm your Navi, after all-here through thick and thin! Still..." Her smile grew softer, but no less heartfelt. "I know some people wouldn't even notice how anyone else felt if they were in a situation like yours. You've really grown up."

Meiru's concern melted into a bright, relieved smile. "You know, we've been down here so long, I've almost gotten used to the smell. They've got to be going back up soon."

"We're on the furthermost reaches of Densan City," Roll said, bringing up a GPS map for reference. "If those thugs keep going, we'll hit the next town over." Before that happened, the thugs came to a halt in front of another stairwell in an even more impressively tall corridor-this time, extending both above and below. There was no other place to go but up or down, and the two men chose up.

Meiru gave them a few moments to begin ascending the many flights of stairs, then took a deep breath and said, "Let's see what's up there."

* * *

**A/N:** Japanese sewers are cool, and are definitely worth Googling! Also, if you're confused by Rockman's recollection, you may want to refer back to chapter 1 of Neo Alliances.

I'm glad you have that much faith in me, MI3! :D Though I seem to have left you on another cliffhanger, sorry about that.


	5. The Power Plant

The first thing Meiru did upon reaching the surface was take the biggest breath of air she could, hoping it would help purge the sewer's lingering stench. "Ahhhhhhh!" She and Roll were in the open, on an old street corner. At least, it looked old; all of the buildings had suffered serious damage, glass and rubble littering the hole-filled street. Behind them loomed a tan-painted building with the words 'DENSAN POWER' on the side. It was in perfect condition.

"We should tell Enzan about this," Roll said. "He can tell the Net Police, and then they'll come and finish these guys off!"

Meiru agreed. "Got the address, Roll?"

"Mm-hm. I'm sending it right now," she reported. After she sent it, she noticed that they were moving again. "We're not just going to wait for them, huh?"

"We still don't know how they're doing this," Meiru pointed out. Before Roll could get a word in edgewise, she rapidly continued, "If we don't have some proof, they'll cover it up, and then Enzan and the Net Police'll think we're lying!"

Roll sighed. She looked up at the slim smokestacks rising above them. This was a small plant, not the first thing she would've suspected of unleashing destruction like what had hit Akihara. Besides that, she understood the real reason why Meiru wanted to keep going: not sitting around was time not spent wrestling with the urge to dwell on either Netto or the uncertain future. "I guess you're right..."

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Manabe gritted her teeth as she scanned the email. "I know this address," she said. "We'd been thinking it was suspect, but there were so many others that seemed like more likely culprits..." She looked up. "Enzan-kun, I don't think you'll be checking the network for us after all." She and Enzan had met at the Ministry of Science, where Enzan had arrived to see what he could do when Meiru's email had reached him.

Once Manabe had finished with the email, Blues made its holographic window close. "It's a long way to the plant. Enzan-sama, we should get going."

The Net Police's second-in-command shook her head. "I don't like sending you in alone like this. We were going to have you and Netto go on a couple of tours to scout the suspect plants out, but now that he's not around to back you up..."

"That's where I come in." A spiky-haired man with an orange-lined lab coat and a shirt with the number 20 on it walked into the room.

Manabe's initial surprise gave way to firm refusal. "Meijin-san, I'm sorry, but what do you-"

"There's no need for the -san!" Meijin said, "Let me guess, you were going to say I wouldn't be much help to this case? Then let me introduce you to my new Navi." An orange, stern-looking Navi shimmered into view on the scientist's shoulder. "You have the Net addresses of all the utility buildings around here, right? But their mainframes are walled off from the Internet proper, so Enzan here would have to make the trek across town just to plug Blues in. Gateman's Remote Gate can take Blues right there, and that'll save you precious time."

Manabe sighed. "Let us not waste time," Gateman boomed. "Meijin-san, plug me in at once."

The Navi's forbidding demeanor seemed to make Meijin a little uncomfortable. "N-no need for the -san… Plug in, Gateman! Transmission!" Manabe nodded to Enzan, who followed suit.

True to his word, Gateman immediately strode over to Blues and summoned a huge, hexagonal gate, easily tall enough for both Navis to step through. "May I have the address, please?"

Manabe sighed. "I don't know about this," she told Meijin as she input the IP address. "But if you think Gateman can hold his own..."

"Don't worry, madam," Gateman said, closing his hand around the address. "This mission is in capable hands." Next to Blues, the impressive gate swung open. "After you." True to Gateman's word, the first thing Blues saw upon stepping through was a digital model of a generator with displays and switches that controlled the real thing-standard for a power plant's mainframe.

"I don't see anything suspect," Manabe said.

"Mainframes are enormous. They're just in the wrong area, that's all," Meijin replied.

"I see something strange-there aren't any Navis manning the generators," Enzan noted.

Meijin frowned. "They've gotten everyone out. But what for? It's like they're expecting a massive power surge." He, Manabe, and Enzan looked up from the displays as Yuuichirou ran into the room. He looked from monitor to monitor in wide-eyed panic. There was nothing displayed in them. "What's happened, Hikari-hakase?!"

Yuuichirou's fist slammed onto the metal side of a nearby computer. "Rockman's gone missing."

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The power plant was filled with machinery, pipes, and control panels. Meiru had to go up one floor before she saw anything of interest to her, though. Two giant tubes sat on the far side of the floor. One was small and turned on, the other over twice that size and turned off. "Generators," Roll whispered. Meiru had a feeling it was the larger one that had caused the earthquakes. "We're looking for the control room. It should be somewhere near the generators." The redhead stiffened when she saw where it was: straight across from her. Anyone inside would be able to see her at that moment. She ran for the big generator, ducking behind it. From there, she looked for the control room's entrance. It was on her side, so she crawled over, keeping the generator between her and whoever was up there. The door was slightly ajar, and though she was standing a few feet below it, Meiru was able to inch it open enough to peer inside.

"Has that Navi of yours shown any signs of catching on?"

"Of course not. He actually seems proud of what he's doing." The brown-haired man leaned back in his seat. "I backed him up last night. You really think this Ultimate Program thing'll wipe him out?"

"If my research is correct, it has an incredible amount of energy stored inside. When he accesses it, that energy will be released and everything in that area of the mainframe will be wiped out-both your Navi and the carrier Navi included. Then, we reformat it to suit our needs, creating an entirely new area where the old one was."

"That's terrible," Roll said. "Those poor Navis!" Meiru frowned. She'd heard something like this before. With the day she'd been having, she just couldn't seem to remember where...

"Sure beats getting a new generator program _again_," the brown-haired man said. "How long did this one last? Half a minute?"

"Twenty-eight point two six," recited the gray-haired man. "I'd say we're improving, but that won't matter soon." His chair creaked as he leaned back in it. "Soon, Japan will be the most energy-efficient country in the world," he said proudly. "I'll put all those fools out of business, and we'll all be better off for it."

"Yeah, Dad, we'll be raking it in!" the younger man exclaimed. His father cuffed him for it. "Ow!"

"That's only a bonus. Proving that my theory holds water and saving our planet is what we're really after," he corrected sternly. It was clear the older man had the upper hand in the argument. Meiru and Roll turned their attention away from the pair and to what was behind them: the huge, black-plated mainframe.

"We'd better get moving."

"Yep. We're looking for a carrier Navi and those plans..." Meiru slipped her PET out of her pocket. "Let's see what we can find." The redhead waited until she was sure neither of the men were looking her way, then stretched her arm up so Roll was in range of the small port on the mainframe's side.

The laser made a high-pitched whine as it beamed Roll into the computer, loud enough to catch the men's attention. "Did you hear that?" the younger man asked, frozen in place. Meiru hurriedly backed away, her shoes tapping loudly against the grating on the floor. "Those were footsteps!"

"Someone's out there," growled the older man as Meiru ran for it. She rounded the corner around the larger generator just in time. As she ducked into a crouch, she heard the door to the control room bang open and the father's voice yell, "Get after them!"

"Meiru-chan, there's nothing in here so far but viruses," Roll reported. "I'll be fine-just don't get caught!"

Meiru had no intention of that, but she had no idea where her pursuer was. She peered to the side of the generator closest to the stairs and another floor of space. Luckily, no one was there. Her heart pounding in her chest, she bolted for the far side of the room, willing her legs to move faster so that the old man in the control room wouldn't try taking matters into his own hands.

Just as she reached the stairs, the younger man ran out from behind the smaller generator, his face twisted into something between a grimace and a smile. "Found you!"

Meiru was paralyzed with fright as he tore after her. "Meiru-chan, _run!_" shrieked Roll, jolting her Operator into action. She took the stairs down as quickly as she could without tripping over her own feet, leaping from the fifth step up to hasten the process and landing in a heap on the ground floor. There was no time to waste wondering how badly ripped up her clothes were, or how bruised she was; she stumbled to her feet and started running again, only coming to a stop after she'd found a cluster of pipes large enough to hide her if she was sitting. She wriggled under them, though she didn't dare to catch her breath and risk being heard. It was lucky that the lights were off down here; the darkness gave her enough cover that she didn't have to worry about her feet being visible.

"I know you're down here, girly," panted the man from somewhere far away. "And I know you wouldn't leave without coming back up here and collecting that Navi of yours..."

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry about the late update - my senior project is the most nightmarish thing I have ever had the misfortune to be saddled with. Just when I think it can't go any worse, it does... and it made me leave you all waiting for what I think is the weakest chapter of the bunch. ugh. It's all uphill from here writing-wise, if only I could say the same about the project.

I have no idea how to handle Meijin's catchphrase, and I'd like your opinion on it. I don't like sticking untranslated Japanese into my stories, because to me it reads strangely (they're still Japanese characters, we're just reading their dialogue in English!), but I wanted to keep the "-san" as what he had a problem with rather than the more generic "formalities". I had "Quit it with the -san" for a while, but now I've gone to "No need for the -san!" which is a happy medium, maybe? Or maybe I should just accept that talking about honorifics is never going to translate well, and use "_-san wa iranai!_"? (As a bonus to anyone who's read all the way through this paragraph of waffling, reviewers who can remember why Meijin's shirt would now have a 20 on it will receive an imaginary cookie.)

Thanks so much, MI3! I'm glad you liked the conversation between her and Roll - I really, really didn't want to have her coming across as all selfish all the time, though it's certainly understandable in her first two chapters. She's starting to get through this, bit by bit!

I'm really glad you're liking the characterization, Senatsu! I know I've tried to get it just right, so it's great to hear that you think I'm succeeding. :D

Last but not least, thanks to Timbrel and fin600 for following. :)


	6. Thunderous Clashes!

Slowly, Meiru's breaths began to lengthen as the seconds ticked by. She hadn't heard any footsteps, and she knew she would have picked up on the boots of the man chasing her against the bare concrete-even the rumble of the generator above her hadn't been able to disguise his feet banging against the grating. He had to be waiting for her to come back upstairs, which meant that he thought Roll didn't stand a chance against the Navi inside the mainframe. That thought was just as worrying as the fact that Meiru would have to deal with her pursuer eventually. She couldn't leave the power plant and risk disconnecting from Roll, which left her trapped on the first floor. But she also knew that she couldn't possibly overpower a grown man, and he knew this area better than she did. There was no waiting this one out, and no time to regret her rash decision to enter the power plant; she had to do something.

As quietly as possible, Meiru got to her feet and looked around. It was dimly lit, which meant that the man chasing her probably couldn't see her from the stairs. But she could still see that this floor seemed to be divided into different rooms, which was a relief. If she had walls to muffle the sound, she would be able to Operate Roll. As she knelt again in preparation for returning to the hallways made by the pipes, her hand brushed against her knee. It was damp; she stifled a gasp as she looked down and saw that her shin was badly scraped. It looked-and felt, now that some of the adrenaline was starting to wear off-like a mess.

There was no time to worry about that; gritting her teeth, Meiru slid back out from under the pipes. As silently as possible, she got to her feet and slowly stepped across the back side of the room to the doorway, hoping the man at the top of the stairs didn't see her when she crossed the few wider spaces.

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There was a dot of white light at the end of the dark tunnel Roll found herself in. She knew that a mainframe's area was massive, having to handle so much activity. The only question was, how much searching would she have to do before she had something to bring to the Net Saviors? She broke into a run. With so much area to search, there was no reason to take this side corridor slow. Little sparks of static electricity crackled along the walls, and she occasionally passed by an Elec Navi or virus. They didn't pay much attention to her, focused on taking in the energy that hummed around them. Some of the Navis were in disrepair, and she couldn't help but wonder what would happen to them after their power source was taken away.

She turned the corner only to backpedal as beady yellow eyes winked to life in front of her. A fist whistled through the air right where she had been.

"What's the hurry?" the Hell Navi asked, forming a purple buster. "Can't wait for him to delete you?"

Roll sent a spray of hearts at his Charge Shot, which met the energy bullet not far from his face and exploded. "So, is 'he' the one who's behind this?"

"Huh? No. We thought you assumed you were friends with him," the Hell Navi said, bringing his buster up and beginning another charge. "We figured all his old hangers-on knew he'd gone missing by now, but not that he'd gone to join us. Which begs the question-how exactly did you get here, and how long will it take to send you out?"

Roll screamed as the shot slammed into her. There was no helping it; she needed to call for Meiru.

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_"Meiru-chan!"_

"Sssh!" Roll instantly fell silent, but Meiru could hear her pursuer on the stairs. Throwing stealth to the winds, she sprinted for the doorway and down the hallway inside, throwing open the second door she saw and locking it firmly behind her.

"Thank goodness for old-fashioned locks," she said, locating the light switch. It was a closet; shelves of cleaning supplies filled it, and she was certain she'd be muffled enough that she'd have some time in the back of the room to Operate. She could hear the faint, muffled sound of the door of the room she'd passed before rattling; if the man assumed that her door had just been left locked intentionally, it would buy her even more time. She turned her light off and slowly made her way toward the back of the room, her hands in front of her to ensure she didn't bump into anything and give herself away. Once she was in the back of the room, she turned her attention to her Navi's plight.

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"Shotgun, slot-in!" Roll's white-hot blasts hit the Hell Navi before his next charge could complete, knocking him backwards. When she was able to look up, she saw that Meiru's window showed a different area of the plant. Judging from how she was whispering, she must have moved so she wouldn't be overheard Operating. "Where are you?"

"I'm trying to reach the center of the mainframe," Roll explained. "I'm picking up a lot of sound vibrations coming from in there, like something big is getting ready to happen. I really hope I get there soon..." The blonde Navi started walking again as she asked, "But what's happening out there? Are you okay?"

"I'm in a supply closet," Meiru whispered. "There's someone after me, but he doesn't know where I am. So I'm fine for now." Roll flung herself out of the way as a flash of energy shot past overhead. She could hear the worry in Meiru's voice as the girl said, "I have a bad feeling about this, Roll..."

"You should, missy!" The Hell Navi from before had gotten back to his feet. As a Wide Sword appeared on Roll's arm, he boasted, "A great Navi like our blue wonder will have little trouble wiping the likes of you out." To Roll's surprise, he tried charging his buster again. It was a mistake; she was more than fast enough to reach him in time, slicing across his chest and quickly rendering the damage needed to log him out.

"He can't mean Rockman, can he?" Roll asked, turning toward Meiru's window.

The redhead's worry was only eclipsed by her Navi's. "I think... No, it can't be. He'd never work for people like this."

Roll gave her Operator a hesitant smile, glad to have her opinion backed up. "You're right. They've done so much harm... Rockman would fight these guys to the end."

"Oh, really? I think you have some of the fundamentals wrong there." The same purple, disc-like head and spindly, spiky body came out of the shadows, a carbon copy of his vanquished ally-another Hell Navi sauntered toward her, hand forming into a sword by his side. "He's not loyal or brave. You and your friends were all being played by him-and you're the biggest idiot of them all for thinking he'd be swayed by a weak, self-centered hag like you. So why don't you just leave?"

"Shut up!" Roll's antennae carried all the force of her fury, hurling the Hell Navi backward. She didn't have time to see just how much damage she'd done; another round of buster fire had started up behind her, sending her sprawling through the space vacated by the defeated Navi.

"You wouldn't be so mad if you didn't know it was true." After his ally's fate, this Navi was hanging back, keeping Roll from having time to answer with yellow buster shots and the occasional Rabi Ring. "I mean, think about it. What have you ever done for him? Besides get in his way, hang back while he did all the work, and annoy him in all your other ugly little ways. He won't leave with you, so get out!"

"Rolling Log, slot-in!" Meiru's assumption had been correct-the Navi was Elec-element, and was easily crushed by the bulky Wood-element attack. "I think that's all of them."

"Thank goodness." Roll looked around to find her bearings. The white-lit exit was a little closer now, and she began her dash toward it. "Is that guy still out there looking for you?"

Meiru was silent for a few seconds before she reported, "It doesn't sound like it. Maybe he went back to waiting on the stairs."

"I guess it's better than getting interrupted while we're still looking for whatever's going on," Roll said.

"Determined, aren't you?" Roll whirled around, frustrated-yet another Hell Navi was running toward her. A Wide Shot appeared on her arm, and she was fast to fire it at the purple Navi's legs, sending him crashing to the ground. "You're better than I thought, but it won't help you. He's an amazing piece of work..." A Roll Arrow got rid of the Navi before he could say anything more. The crossbow changed back into her normal pink glove before Roll continued toward the exit.

The central room was bright, far brighter than the first corridor. Small, illuminated platforms were suspended above the first floor at random intervals, but that escaped her vision temporarily. Right now, her eyes were only on him. Rockman was mere feet away from her, the toes of his boots barely touching the ground as he slept. Despite his kidnapping, his face held a peaceful expression, almost smiling...

Then, his yellow eyes snapped open, and Roll knew that there was nothing peaceful about it at all.

* * *

**A/N:** DUN DUN DUN

When I was sixteen and planning all this out, I thought it was the cleverest thing ever that the power plant in this story is the same power plant as the one waaaaaay back in chapter 3 of Neo Alliances. (or waaaaaay forward, if you're thinking chronologically.) Now, of course, I only just remembered I did that.

mysticwater1234, you've got the right idea, which is close enough in my book that you get the imaginary cookie of your choice. ^^ Meijin's shirt number is actually increased according to how many series of the anime have been produced - the first series' number was 15, and Beast+ ended things with 19. So since this is a continuation of the anime, Meijin's number has increased to 20!

I do not miss finals at all, MI3. I'm sure you're glad they're over. ^^; I would use 'no need for formalities', but I want to keep -san in there because I have a lame joke that involves that catchphrase and the -san. So I think what I had last week was the best solution after all. And thanks for the senior project well wishes, I could certainly use them!

woody4, FernClaw, thanks for following!


	7. Demon Rockman

"Hello, Roll-chan," Rockman purred, his sickly yellow eyes shining with amusement. "I've been looking forward to seeing you."

"Rockman?" Instinct guided Roll to back away from the blue-clad Navi as he walked toward her. His grin grew wider by the second.

"Why aren't you throwing your arms around me, Roll-chan?" he asked. "I was hoping you would. The look on your face when I impaled you with your own momentum..." His face fell. "I was really looking forward to that, and you've denied me even that pleasure." A Cannon formed on his arm. "I'll just have to settle for the old-fashioned way." He slowly raised the green gun to point at Roll, grin returning to its full dementedness. "Bang, bang."

"Battlechip: Sw-"

"No!" Roll jumped backward, landing on one of the platforms that dotted the area. "He's in there somewhere, I know he is. I have to try."

Rockman laughed. "Why do you think you'd be able to sway him? I don't think you know what I do, and you never will. You wouldn't even think about it."

"I don't know what he's talking about, but don't listen to him," Roll cut in. "Rockman, fight this!"

"How predictable!" Rows of sharp needles shot out of the ground without warning, clipping Roll on the side when she tried to dodge. "And her guard's slipping, too," the thing controlling him scoffed through Rockman's mouth. "She's not good enough for you, Rockman."

"You don't know the first thing about me or him," Roll growled.

The Rockbuster formed on Rockman's arm, and he wasted no time in bringing it up to fire. Roll only listened to his next insults with half an ear, preoccupied with avoiding the purple bullets. "I know what matters most to him. That's something you could never understand. You've never been through what he has. Never had to step up to the plate because no one else would; never had to really give it everything you had because everything wasn't enough..."

Roll paused. That had always been Rockman and Netto's job. Always on the sidelines, that was her... A purple shot slammed into her chest, forcing her back to reality. As she struggled back to her feet, Meiru countered, "Maybe you're right. Maybe we aren't defenders of the world like Netto was and Rockman still is. But we do our best in everything, whether it's homework or Netbattles or just being there for our friends. And that last one is something I don't think you get-all you ever talk about is physical power, but you'll be sunk if that leaves you and you don't have friends!"

"Yeah," Roll said. "Rockman, it doesn't matter what this guy's promised you. I... I'll always be there for you. And so will Glyde, Gutsman, Iceman, and everyone else. We'll help you get through this! Even if Netto-san's not here, you're not alone!"

She wasn't surprised when Rockman's only answer was to fire his Rockbuster, so she was ready to duck. "So sappy!" he said with an infuriating smirk as she straightened. "No wonder he left without sparing you a thought. That whole ridiculous speech, and guess what?" He fired a Charge Shot; she dodged the actual bullet, but the blast sent her sprawling. "I'm the only one who heard it! Talking to him is useless, sweetie," laughed Rockman. "I'm in this body now, and I'm not going anywhere!"

Roll blinked up at him. "So," she panted, "he can't tell what's going on through sight or... anything?"

"Of course not!" sneered the possessed Navi, not giving any thought to the meaning behind Roll's words. "I have control of all his senses. He couldn't give you pointers if he wanted to!"

Roll could only hope that Rockman would accept her apologies later as she stood up. "Roll Arrow!" Rockman didn't see it coming; the arrow caught him in the face. A loud scream (that was far too obnoxious to be anyone's but this creep's, Roll noted with satisfaction) accompanied him as he was sent crashing to the floor headfirst.

As he got to his feet, Rockman growled, "Why aren't you worried about hurting your little boyfriend? I may feel it, but he's the one getting the damage!"

"It's better for him to be hurt and himself than be in your hands!" retorted Roll. Her next choice of attack was a swift, "Heart Slash!"

Rockman laughed as he cleared the flurry of hearts with ease. "You're forgetting who you're up against," he sneered. "How could a pathetic little girl like you ever hope to beat the speed and power of Rockman?" In the blink of an eye, his buster was out and ready. "Charge Shot!"

"She's not pathetic!" yelled Meiru. Knowing that Roll would definitely want her assistance now, she called, "Barrier, slot-in!" Roll almost didn't raise her hand to use the Battlechip fast enough, stopping the purple bullet inches in front of her face. The Barrier provided little relief. Through its clear surface, Roll could see Rockman charging toward her, his right hand formed into a sword. The blonde Navi barely managed to fling herself out of the way as the weapon cut across what would've been the symbol on her chest if she'd been even a second slower. Roll's avoidance of the attack didn't faze Rockman in the least; he simply whirled around, where his opponent was in no position to avoid his strike. "Battlechip: Area Steal! Slot-in!"

Roll re-materialized ten platforms above Rockman, eyes still wide with fright. "He's fast," she said, her voice nearly at a whisper. "Too fast. There's nothing we can do but defend..."

"And I've only got one Area Steal left," said Meiru grimly. "You've got to stay on these platforms and keep him down there, or he'll run you through..."

Roll shivered for a moment before looking up, where hundreds of levels more that she could climb met her eye. Both Navi and Operator were relieved; if Rockman tried to come after Roll, she could put some distance between them. But with Rockman's speed, it would only be a matter of time before he caught up.

"We'll do everything we can to stop him. Rabi Ring, slot-in!" Roll took aim with her dual-pronged weapon and fired as Rockman jumped for the first platform, striking him dead-on. "Triple Lance, slot-in!"

Roll gave the fish virus before her the go-ahead with a cry of, "Attack, Poseidon!" It spat a trident down at its mistress's paralyzed opponent, dealing serious damage. However, the effects of the Rabi Ring vanished due to this second attack, giving Rockman the freedom to pepper the air with purple shots from his Rockbuster. Though Roll managed to avoid most of them, one struck her on the shoulder. Seeing this, the blue-clad Navi let his weapon change back into his hand. It next took the shape of a Cannon, which he fired at his reeling opponent. Roll didn't have a chance to evade-she was knocked from her position, barely managing to grab one of the platforms that flew by to pull herself up.

Rockman was attempting an ascent once more, but before Roll could fire with her Roll Arrow, Meiru stopped her. "No, let him come up-I've got an idea. Battlechip: Stealth Mine!" Grinning, Roll leapt to the next platform; like Meiru, she assumed that it would stay on the platform she'd used its chip on. After she'd made it to a square that overlooked the trap she'd set for Rockman, Meiru warned, "Get ready, Roll. Long Sword, slot-in!"

As the sword formed on her hand, Roll looked down. What she saw made her gasp in shock. A cutely smiling Kawarimi doll fell, a waste of a Battlechip; the Stealth Mine was nowhere to be found, and neither was Rockman. Now she knew the trap was a danger to both Navis, but that was the least of Roll's worries. She didn't even have a chance to turn before a blade sliced across her back, the sheer force of Rockman's blow sending her flying off the platform. Landing five platforms below ripped the scream from her throat; she barely had the energy to roll away from Rockman's blade as he stabbed downward, his power embedding his Long Sword deep into the ground.

"Before he gets himself loose! Senshahou, slot-in!" Rockman's Long Sword was truly stuck, but Roll could help with that-her Senshahou's brutal blast pounded into the possessed Navi as the blade slowly dragged toward the platform's edge, cutting through the bright surface to expose the dull gray underneath as it went. As Roll's cannon reverted back into her hand, its power used up, Rockman's weight pulled the Long Sword free and sent him falling to the ground. Even though he wasn't himself, Roll couldn't help feeling sorry after she peered over the edge to see Rockman's body in a crumpled heap, data leaking from multiple cuts.

A few moments passed, and Roll decided to head down and see if she'd shaken off whatever had taken hold of Rockman. She'd barely gotten halfway back to ground level before Rockman staggered to his feet, coming up to meet her. "He's still fighting?" Meiru asked with dismay.

Roll leapt down and sent a flurry of hearts ahead of her, wincing as they slashed into Rockman. He flew away, skidding off the platform and thudding to a stop a few floors below. The blue Navi looked horrible; though he could probably withstand a few more hits, Roll didn't want to put that to the test. Her hit points weren't doing so well, either. "Please, just stop..." she pleaded as the Rockbuster formed on her friend's hand...

* * *

**A/N:** Haha, I probably need a life even more for remembering the answer after all these years, mysticwater1234! So you could always think of it that way; you're not as in need of a life as me. And besides, you didn't have much competition in guessing.

You're good, MI3! Or I'm just very predictable. ^^; Glad you liked the action, seeing as we're definitely in the action segment of the fic.

Thanks to ShadowBeta924 and megagolden for following!


	8. The Hunting or the Hunted?

"Rockbuster!"

"Barrier, slot in!" Despite managing to knock him down further, Roll was still well within Rockman's firing range. She couldn't repress the chill that ran down her spine as she retreated to higher ground; every shot hit exactly the same spot on the clear shield. Under the focused barrage, the Barrier quickly gave way. Roll ducked down to shield herself, balls of purple energy whizzing above her head.

"Now what do we do?" she wondered. Rockman had her pinned down, and trying to go higher would just lead to the same problem with a higher fall if she got hit.

Meiru wished she had a spare Area Steal or a Fumikomizan to take Rockman by surprise with; the way things were, if Roll was overpowered by him, it would mean certain deletion. However, she could see no other choice. "I think we'll have to take a chance. Area Steal, slot-"

"Remote Gate!" The voice was far too deep to be Rockman's. Hesitantly, Roll stood up. When she saw who was on the ground level, a relieved smile broke out over her face.

"Blues!" The red Navi and his unfamiliar acquaintance met her midway up the power plant's area. The two could afford to leave Rockman unsupervised; he was futilely struggling in the grip of a massive, clawed purple hand. The arm that it belonged to was stretching out of a silver, octagonal door, blackness swallowing whatever else was inside.

"We came as soon as we could," Meijin said. The window that opened next to his displayed Enzan's face. "Roll, are you all right?"

"Yes," she said. "I'm more worried about Rockman." The blue Navi seemed to have realized that fighting was useless; he was slumped over, helmet blocking Roll's view of his face.

Meijin asked, "How did he behave in the battle?" Roll was quick to tell him what had happened before he'd arrived. "It sounds like something's got control of him... Gateman?"

The orange Navi's eyes swept around the room, data running past them as he scanned, but he eventually shook his head. "Whoever it is, they don't seem to be here. I don't register any Navis other than us."

"Let me try." Roll spread her antennae and focused. Like Gateman had said, there was nothing to show a Navi or virus. She scanned the room again, focusing so that no information escaped her notice. On the ground floor was a space suspiciously devoid of any data whatsoever, even the placeholder bits that marked a space as 'empty'. If she hadn't been looking for it, it never would have caught her attention. She jumped down from platform to platform until she reached it, then whipped her antennae forward and into the space. The enemy Navi faded in slowly, from blue pixels to washed-out figure to a spindly, black-and-white form.

"Virus Summon!" a voice cried. Neither it nor its owner could easily be classified as male or female. Roll cleared the virus away with one of her heart-tipped arrows, giving the white-gloved Navi something to worry about. It faded away again, and a shout from above told Roll that the strange Navi had appeared before Gateman or Blues. She hastened to join them and arrived just in time to see an overwhelming number of viruses charge toward Blues-and another three or four destroy the hand holding Rockman down. She fired a Roll Arrow, knocking him back before the sword forming on his arm could strike.

"I'm tired of fighting you," Rockman and his puppet master chorused. "Let's try this guy!" Without warning, Rockman whirled around to deliver a Charge Shot to Blues' chest, sending him flying backwards. Rockman pounced as a Fighter Sword appeared on his arm. Roll and Gateman were in no position to assist Blues-the viruses were appearing as quickly as their fellows were deleted. A ring of pineapple-haired soldiers were fighting around Gateman as he blew away ten viruses at a time with a massive cannon on his chest. Though she didn't have troops of her own, Roll's Mega Cannon did a decent job of taking the enemies down. Meanwhile, Blues scrambled to his feet just in time to dodge Rockman's opening strike.

"Bamboo Sword, slot-in!" The more powerful weapon halted the Long Sword in midair, but Rockman was still a strong Navi. Blues couldn't force the Long Sword back, but holding Rockman in a stalemate at least kept him from doing any damage. "How are you controlling Rockman? Tell me!" Enzan demanded.

"Why-nngh-" Rockman pushed harder, but the Long Sword wasn't willing to go the extra mile. It shattered, leaving his enemy's Bamboo Sword able to deliver a crippling strike down Rockman's side. The blue Navi and his controller howled. "Why should I tell you?" they wheezed.

"Cannon, White Capsule, slot-in!" Blues quickly raised his arm and fired. Rockman froze in place, electricity crackling around his body. Above him, the long limbs of the black-and-white Navi jerked. "Because you can only attack through your puppets. And when Rockman's deleted-and don't think I won't order Blues to do it-" A Paladin Sword appeared on Blues's arm. "-then not only will you feel that pain, but you'll be almost completely defenseless to boot." Rockman stared at the Paladin Sword with wide eyes. "Do you want your best defense gone, or will you talk?"

Rockman gritted his teeth. "Fine. What do you want me to tell you?"

"You can start with your name." Rockman grinned widely, but said nothing. Blues's sword raised higher, ready to strike. At that moment, what Rockman's controller had been waiting for happened-the White Capsule's effect ran out. Blues tapped the possessed Navi with the Paladin Sword before he could get far, dispensing a second White Capsule's paralysis.

"P-P-Powerman," gasped Rockman and his controller in unison. "I'm Powerman."

"And what are you using to make Rockman your puppet? Did you infect him with a virus?" asked Meijin. Silence answered him. "Well?"

Powerman laughed. "A separate virus? No. I'm better than that." An Area Steal transported Rockman away from any more White Capsules Enzan and Blues were planning on using. Powerman's puppet rounded on Gateman next, who quickly summoned a Remote Gate to block his attacker's advance. Unable to stop his charge, Rockman slammed into the metallic door and crumpled to the ground. Blues was quick to hold a red-white sword up to the tiring Navi's throat. "All I need to do is integrate my consciousness in and take over-or, if he's too powerful, persuade my drone to let me take the reins... and your friend was easy prey. I snuck into him right after he'd left that PET, when he was a fragmented mess. I picked out his memory data way faster than that ratty-looking human did! There were things in there that would have him crawling straight to me, as long as I waited for the right moment."

"So you withheld his memories," Blues stated, his anger and disgust evident.

Though his featureless face revealed nothing, Powerman's voice smugly rang out, "Who would believe him, anyway?" Rockman's face contorted in pain. Roll realized that her enemy was relaxing his guard, and his grip was slipping. "Not the scientists or detectives, and not even his so-called friends and family. Heck, he might have just made it up to deal with the trauma. That seems a whole lot more likely than this silly 'men in black' thing. Even I saw the news-that kid's dead now, and anything else is de-ni-al." The blonde Navi knew it wasn't just physical pain that made Rockman cringe when Powerman said those words.

Before Roll could tell Powerman to leave Rockman alone, Meiru slotted in her last Area Steal, and the Navi girl took the opportunity to give her enemy the message via her antennae smacking hard into his chest. He reeled backward, but Roll made sure she got in one last good hit before he toppled too far for her yellow bands to reach. "You little-" He vanished before he could hit the ground; she heard him finish his sentence high above her. Rockman cried out behind her before laughter took over his voice. Gateman and Blues would be busy, leaving her to take down Powerman alone.

"Get after him!" Roll needed no further encouragement from her Operator to get moving. When the pink Navi was in range, Meiru called, "Cannon, slot-in!" Powerman was sent sprawling, too distracted by the fight below him to focus on dodging the attack. "Pin him down with this! Wide Sword!" Powerman desperately scrambled to his feet as Roll landed on his platform.

She pointed the sword at his chest and commanded, "Give up!"

"I-" He laughed, but Roll could hear the desperation behind it. "You won't get me that easily!" He leapt backward onto yet another higher platform-and vanished in a massive explosion, the Stealth Mine finally triggering. Roll shielded her face with her arm until the heat died away, then looked down. Rockman had fallen to the ground, and Blues and Gateman were standing over him. As Roll made her way back down to the others, Blues knelt over the fallen Navi.

"He seems to be unconscious," the swordsman reported. "Enzan-sama, should I take him to the Ministry of Science?"

"Good idea," his Operator agreed. "Meijin, can Gateman link them there?"

"Of course. Gateman?"

A Remote Gate appeared before the three Navis left standing. With Rockman slung over his shoulder, Blues led the way, Roll and Gateman close behind.

* * *

**A/N:** Every time I reread this chapter and the previous two, I'm reminded of two things: (a Powerman is a doofus (b if I had written this just two years later it would be Plugman in his role, and I'm really, really glad I didn't waste Plugman on this. Once they're all up, if you read all the fics in this series, you'll definitely be able to tell which ones were written after MM9 and 10 came out. :P

Thank you so much for the kind reviews, Sofiapuffergirl! Glad you're enjoying the fics. :D

And thanks for favoriting and following, SpiritMaster9000! Next week, it's the final chapter in this fic!


	9. The Beginning

**The Beginning**

Enzan had expected to see Sakurai Meiru again. She'd never seemed like the type to stand anyone up, and she was probably as much in need of company to keep all the unfamiliar-or, in his case, too-familiar-solitude away as he was. He just hadn't expected to see her so soon. Judging from what was floating above Commissioner Kifune's desktop, neither had anyone with the Net Police.

"Made it to the final rounds of the N1 Grand Prix…" Kifune scrolled down the page, one similar to what Enzan remembered from when he still cared about such a relatively inconsequential thing: an entry in the national database of Netbattlers, which anyone who Netbattled in a sanctioned area such as an arcade had. "In terms of points, she still ranks highly overall in the listings of Japanese Netbattlers…"

"And she's always moving up, little by little," Manabe pointed out. "What's more, she's already familiar with us and our operations, the most out of anyone suitable."

"But this is Meiru-chan," Meijin pointed out. "She's never exactly been Net Savior material."

"That would be the case if we were looking for someone to go on solo missions," Kifune said. "But Enzan doesn't necessarily need an equal right now. He needs a partner; someone who is capable enough to assist him, but who doesn't have to be powerful enough to stand on his or her own."

"One day, she might even grow into a strong enough Netbattler to work alone," Manabe added. "Who knows?"

"And who knows what the next enemy will be capable of, and how soon he might show up." Meijin's frown of disapproval wasn't going anywhere. "Just because we'd go along with the proposed Dimensional Area ban doesn't mean the criminals will. And what happens when Meiru-chan finds herself alone against those people?"

"If that's your concern, then I'll train her." Enzan explained, "Sakurai's always had potential; she's just never had much reason to develop it. She'll be able to hold her own soon enough, with the right instruction."

"As for the ban, we'll make sure that the raw materials for a Dimensional Area are also included in it. That way, we can be absolutely certain no one will be able to construct a Dimensional Area or import it." Manabe continued, "Now, as for ones that are already in the country... it'll be easier to track down information with two Navis on the job instead of one, wouldn't you agree?"

Meijin sighed. "Fine," he said.

Kifune closed the window and gave a decisive nod to the other two. "Then it's decided."

01100010011001010110011101101001011011100110111001 1010010110111001100111

"Rockman?" Meiru had to look closely at the monitor to locate him.

The blue-suited Navi was sitting alone in a corner of Hikari-hakase's computer, where he would remain until the scientist was sure that nothing harmful remained in his system. Neither Meiru nor anyone else knew what to make of the memory file that had made Rockman choose to submit to Powerman. It was badly corrupted, and even after Hikari-hakase repaired what little he could, it remained markedly different in coding from any of Rockman's other memory files. Hikari-hakase believed it to be a glitch brought on by the PET damage. After hearing Meiru's account of how the black-and-white Navi had been out of the human conspirators' loop, Enzan and Meijin both seemed to suspect that Powerman's Operators had planted it when their Navi had first invaded Rockman's mind. Roll and Meiru weren't sure of who to believe.

"Powerman made it sound like it was there from the beginning," Meiru had recalled on the bus trip over. "For an Operator to manually insert something, wouldn't the Navi have to make a connection first?"

Roll had agreed, "You're right. But Powerman's Operator could've added it in during his first look around-Rockman's files must've been a mess, so no one would've noticed one more piece. And besides whether or not it was planted, how can anyone prove that Rockman's telling or not telling the truth? Even if there were security cameras in the train, they would've all been destroyed. And it's been weeks since the accident-everything's been cleaned up and put back to normal. Maybe it really is a glitch or a plant, but maybe he's right. I don't know whether I'd like to believe it or not."

At first, Meiru would've said that she preferred the idea of Netto being alive; on second thought, she hadn't liked to think about him imprisoned by untraceable captors, never to see his friends and family again. "Me either."

Now she could see that Rockman had a similar dilemma on his hands. If he were human, Meiru was almost certain he would be crying. "Hey, Rockman," Roll said from her Operator's shoulder. The blue Navi looked up and gave her a weak smile in return.

"Roll-chan. I'm s-sorry..."

Her strip of blonde hair swung from side to side as Roll shook her head. "It's not your fault, Rockman! If something like that happened to me and Meiru was gone, I'd do the same thing. Any Navi would."

"You don't understand, Roll-chan. It was there from the moment I woke up! I should've done something about it, but I just tried to ignore it. And eventually, it said all that stuff, and... I just let it take control. I didn't tell Papa because I thought..." His eyes drifted down to the floor and stayed there. "If something was-_wrong_ with me, I thought maybe Papa would..."

"You know he'd never do anything drastic to you unless you wanted him to, Rockman," Meiru assured him. "Hikari-hakase cares about you. And if he did do something, I'm not sure if I'd be able to stop Roll taking revenge on your behalf!"

"I guess you're right, Meiru-chan," Roll laughed sheepishly. Rockman cracked a smile. "Everyone here cares about you, Rockman. If you had been lost in the accident, too, I don't know what I would've done. And Hikari-hakase would be twice as devastated, and Enzan and Blues... You know they care about you, even if they try not to show it."

"I don't, huh?" Roll only managed a mortified squeak as Enzan detached himself from the wall and joined her and Meiru. "You've just lost someone very close to you, Rockman. It was natural for you to behave the way you did."

Rockman nodded. "Roll-chan, Meiru-chan, Enzan... Thank you."

"Give it time, and you'll be okay. As for you..." Meiru looked over at Enzan, surprised. "Commissioner Kifune would like to talk to you."

01100010011001010110011101101001011011100110111001 1010010110111001100111

Despite all the times she had accompanied her Net Savior friends on their missions or seen their boss, Meiru had never seen Commissioner Kifune's office in person. The heavyset head of the Japanese Net Police was seated behind his oak desk, directly in front of a large window with an impressive view of downtown Densan. A quartet of potted plants sat in alcoves along the walls, two to each side; their dark brown baskets and the black marble floor contrasted with the cream walls and ceiling. Meiru was impressed and a little intimidated as she walked forward to stand in front of Kifune's desk. Manabe gave her a warm smile as Kifune cleared his throat.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your impressive work. The Net Police have taken all of the men operating that power plant into custody, and steps will be made to take the site off the network."

Meiru was unsure of which network Kifune was talking about, but Manabe explained, "Power plants are all connected with one another-if a large one is taken offline, customers for hundreds of miles can be affected, even if their towns have smaller local plants. That seems to be part of the reason why this group was able to cause so much trouble; they could use that network to hit towns and cities far from their base. Their plant was of moderate size, so it'll take some time to re-route everything. Rest assured, though, nobody will be causing any more trouble with it."

"That's a relief," Meiru said.

"Don't we know it," Manabe agreed. "From what we've found so far, it seems that they were trying to create a super-powered energy program - but it looks like they couldn't figure out how to work out all the bugs. They needed a silver bullet, and they thought an Ultimate Program would supply it."

"So they thought they'd delete Rockman to get at it?!" Indignantly, Meiru said, "That's awful!"

"And besides that, there's no guarantee it would have worked the way their leaders wanted it to. It's looking more and more like you saved the entire region's power from going haywire - like what you saw, but on a much larger and even more destructive scale." Manabe smiled at Meiru, who hesitantly smiled back in return. "Now, Meiru-chan, I'd like to see your PET for a moment. Don't worry, this isn't like some kind of movie where we're going to erase anyone's memories," she teased, noticing Meiru's puzzled expression. She plugged the PET into a port on the table, then typed something into a keyboard below Meiru's sight level. "All done. Now, when you hold down this button and this one at the same time..." Meiru almost couldn't believe it: her own PET produced a hexagon floating in the air with the initials 'NS'. Below the two letters was a title she'd seen many times before, certainly dreamed about receiving, but almost never really thought she'd obtain...

"Welcome to the Net Saviors."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, this is it! Thank you, everyone who read, reviewed, or favorited as this was posted. The next two fics in the series are in a very similar angst-with-adventure vein, so I was very surprised and happy to see how many people this one attracted.

Thanks for giving me so many reviews, MI3! I wound up using Between-Chapters Teleportation to get Meiru out of her hiding place. I don't think she'd want to leave before the Net Police had rounded up the two bad guys, since they'd probably be very angry with her. :P

Seeing as these fics usually seem to wind up ready for release around the time of year they take place in, I'd expect the fourth in line, What's On Your Mind, to be posted in the fall. So, barring some minor miracle or major tragedy, I'll see you then!


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